The Hoya 82mm Variable Neutral Density Filter is a solid variable neutral density filter providing an exposure reduction of about 1.5 to 9 stops. The 0.45 to 2.7 density creates a darkening of the entire image, allowing you to photograph with a wider aperture or slower shutter speed than would normally be required. The degree of density is easily controlled by rotating the front filter ring, helping you to predetermine the additional exposure length required. By slowing your exposure time or increasing your aperture, you are able to control depth of field and convey movement more easily.

This filter is constructed from optical glass to maintain image clarity and is set within a slim profile aluminum ring, which helps to reduce the likelihood of vignetting when used on wide-angle lenses, and does not feature front threads.

Variable neutral density filter allows you to dial in differing amounts of density from scene to scene

0.45 to 2.7 density filter darkens the image, allowing you to photograph with a longer shutter speed or wider aperture than normally required

Providing a reduction of 1.5 to 9 stops, this filter allows you to control depth of field and convey movement more easily

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Steve S. from
Great Filter / Better ServiceThe Short: This is a great filter that performs as described and expected. It is constructed of solid materials and was easily mounted and removed from the front of my lenses. You will not be disappointed as long as you understand how these filters work and what their limitations are when using different lenses. The Long: I had always avoided the variable neutral density filters because of cost and confusion so when I saw this on special a few weeks ago I decided to give it a try after doing a little research with the guys over at Hoya. I had a few questions that had been bugging me that I needed answered and Glenn in customer support answered all of my questions. Here ae the 2 main questions I had: 1 Why does Hoya call it a Variable Density filter instead of a Variable Neutral Density filter? Answer: Because it is not neutral, said Glenn at Hoya. He explained that all but one filter in the world is truly a variable neutral density filter and the engineers at Hoya will not let them call it that because the filter color-shifts as the density increases, therefore it is not neutral. I noticed a slight greenish/yellow shift in my images during my testing. He also explained that unless a third polarizing layer is added to the filter design All other filters will color shift as well and depending on the coatings and type of glass the filter is using can create a more dramatic color shift than others. He said the only filter he is aware of that demonstrates virtually no color shift is one made by Kenko in Japan. It sells here in the US for over $300 which is way outside my budget. 2 What is the deal with the X and why does there seem to be a difference in the amount of usable density range the wider the lens I use? Answer: Glenn was very knowledgeable on the subject but very technical. I will do my best to explain and hope I get it right. The X occurs because the filter uses 2 polarizing filters that as you rotate the front one it cancels out the visible light until it reaches a point of cross polarization. It is at this point you will begin to see an X develop in the frame and increase in density the more you rotate it past the maximum range of 9 stops. In my experiments I have found this to be true but very hard to see through the viewfinder unless it is extremely bright outside. It was certainly there on the final image but I did get to 9 stops before it appeared when I used a 35mm lens or longer. As for the reason the X appears sooner on a wide angle lens or before you reach the maximum of 9 stops as the filter claims, he explained that it has to do with the angle of light entering the lens. Just like a regular polarizer has difficulty creating a uniform polarization effect across the entire image when using let's say a 20mm lens, the variable neutral density filter also has difficulty managing the extreme angle of light lens is capable of capturing. He pointed out that I would not see an actual X but only part of it as I rotated the lens past around 6 stops because the early cross polarization will shift around on the image until I got past the max range of 9 stops. My very rough test showed this to be pretty much true. Not sure if any of this will be helpful but I learned a lot and thought I would share. I am giving this filter 5 stars because it performs as stated, it is well built, and there was someone to answer the phone at Hoya that knew their stuff.

Date published: 2015-02-06

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Digited from
Variable density filters are worthlessI bought and returned this miskate of a product. No one how cares about image quality should be buying a variable neutral density filter. They work by rotating two CP filters relative to each other. The result is abhorrent color distortions at low density. Add to that bizarre vignetting patterns at high densities. This one is particularly bad because there are no stops for min and max (the picture even shows it in a position that isn't between min and max). The graphics imply that there is smooth density change with rotation. But with an exponential rate of darkening, all the usable range is within a miniscule amount of rotation. This makes it impossible to position for a specific density or know what density it is at. Add to that no outside threading and you have a marvel of worthlessness.

Date published: 2014-11-12

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Tim from
This Variable filter is a big mess, useless filter !I did use this variable filter on many different occasions... and the result came out terrible. No matter what I tried, with different approach: set minimum or maximum f-stop, the picture came out with the black cross in front of it. The purpose of this filter is getting pictures with long exposure, and it destroyed all the efforts that I tried, no matter what method or strategy I used. I wonder if the manufacturer ever tried to test this filter before they decided to sell it to customers. It a waste of time & money. Please don't ever make any filter like this !

Date published: 2015-06-02

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Pete from
works, but has quirky side effectsI used this filter at its darkest setting while pointing my camera north as the sun was rising in the east. I encountered a very prominent and unexpected polarizing effect where the brightness of the sky varied dramatically across the wide-angle field of view. The sky literally went from blue at the edges to nearly black in the middle. I noticed this effect in the waves on the water, the ice and even in the snow banks. The combination of settings I used unintentionally amplified the effect. I was able to mitigate the effect to a fair degree by changing camera position, zooming the lens, waiting for the sun to move and reducing the darkening effect. I've only used this filter a couple times with varying levels of success and think it will become more valuable as I learn to better leverage its occasionally quirky behavior in my favor. My suggestion to others would be to get some practice with this filter before using it on an important shoot. If you expect this filter to always act just like a traditional neutral density filter, you too will get a surprise. I also suggest shooting raw to make it easier to tune white balance in post; I usually leave my camera in AWB mode where the filter occasionally confuses the auto-white-balance setting my camera computes. It might be possible to circumvent this by setting camera white balance to match the lighting conditions, but I never tried. I'm pretty excited about this filter, because I expect to be able to do some creative things with it, maybe in combination with a polarizing filter over my flash.

Date published: 2015-03-23

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Oli from
good 82mm variable nd for the pricethis vari nd filter is good. i've been using vari nd filters for many many years for documentary videography work and, for me, they're an obligatory tool. i usually buy filters that are bigger than my lenses and use step-up rings to attach one to the other, and this helps a lot with vignetting and other issues. however this time my lens had an 82mm thread and this was the biggest vari nd filter there was. it behaves differently depending on the focal length - at 24mm it finishes before and doesn't cut out so much light - as i zoom the lens the filter can go further and cut out more light. it also vignettes at 24mm. all in all a good product, especially for the quality of the glass and the price, but it's a quirky product and needs to be used with caution, understanding its limitations.

Date published: 2016-06-22

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Posterchild from
Too good to be trueI used this neutral density filter to capture long exposure photography during the day, and it's fantastic. I did a series of 5 second exposures of water movements and they turned out fabulous thanks to the filter.

Date published: 2016-04-28

Rated 5 out of
5 by
EAJ from
Expand your horizonsI've admired images taken with slow shutter speeds on such subjects as waterfalls, waves and river rapids but wasn't receptive to acquiring and learning to use neutral density filters. This product is variable; you rotate it to increase or decrease the light. No need to stack filters to achieve the result. Easy to use. Reasonably priced. Results so far: excellent. Other uses occur too, like using the filter (to reduce ambient light) with a speed light (for the subject at hand).

Date published: 2015-03-20

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Philly Jeremy from
Great quality and no image degradation.I got this as a cheaper alternative to the other more expensive options out there. I went in expecting some minor issues, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw the great quality it retained. I've used it several times in several different scenarios (outside sunny on indie film, weddings, etc). When mixed with the Genustech 82mm 6 Step Up Ring Kit, it's a perfect tool to have in the camera kit. I highly recommend this to any cinematographer.